Tuesday 6 April 2010

LIFE, KITCHEN SINKS AND NEW BOOKS

Life is not easy right now. I am in my new flat, but "new" is relative. It's old, and it shows. The heating doesn't work, the sink is blocked and there's no sodding broadband. I am covered in paint and I will never ever install a roller blind on a wonky wall ever again. Ever. Even for chocolate.

However, I mustn't moan. I will, but I mustn't.

Nevertheless, I am unerring in my generosity because, even in my time of unbroadbandedness, I can offer prizes. And I can, and indeed must, do the book promo thing. For I must not forget that I Have A Book Coming Out Shortly. 'Tis called Wasted. And I am creating a new blog especially for it.

Also, you may be interested to know, I have enlisted the professional skills - and they are considerable - of one of your number, Catherine Hughes (@catoninetales on Twitter) to organise me and my blogging.

So, Catherine has just reminded me that I am supposed to tell you that I am offering prizes, randomly, to followers of the new blog. Once a week, I will select a follower - with the traditional name-from-a-hat method - to receive a copy of Wasted to be sent to a UK** address. Please pass the message round! Honestly, I need all the help I can get, broadbandless as I am, and covered in paint and detritus from the kitchen sink which I tried to unblock. And did I tell you about the rotten eggs? No, well, that was kind of me.

CHANGE OF PLAN: anywhere in the world!!

Anyway, if you'd like me to stop moaning about rotten eggs and sinks, please pop along to www.talkaboutwasted.blogspot.com and sign yourself up as a follower.

The blog doesn't fully start till April 23rd, but prizes start before then. They will start as soon as I have unblocked my kitchen sink. Or until, more likely, I have phoned an emergency plumber.

24 comments:

catdownunder said...

Oh, this is getting worse and worse...purrhaps you could eventually write a book about it?
If I lived in your part of the world I could cook you nourishing meals and leave them on the doorstep.
Can you find the emergency chocolate rations?

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

What a pain having so much going on and no broadband.

Off to the other site to sign up now.

Jane Smith said...

I've already suggested that Nicola decamp to Starbucks until everything is sorted out, but for some reason she insists on staying at home and doing it all herself. Anyone would think she didn't know how to get the House Fairies started.

Oh, hang on: I remember now. There ARE no House Fairies.

Good luck with your new flat, my dear. I shall follow your new blog but don't enter me into your competitions: save those free copies for people who deserve them!

fairyhedgehog said...

It sounds like a nightmare!

Karen said...

We're on the verge of having a new kitchen installed for the first time ever, and I'm dreading the upheaval. I remember when I fitted our roller blind years ago, after much blood, sweat and swearing, it eventually fell off into the sink!

Good luck with it all :o)

Old Kitty said...

First, yay for prizes!!!!

:-)

Thank you!

And second - so sorry to hear about your moving woes. When I moved here the first thing I did, the very first even before getting a bed to sleep on was have my broadband installed. I couldn't breathe without it so I do empathise!!

Hope you get all that up and running soon!

Take care
x

Old Kitty said...

p.s. Sorry, I just read my comment: I mean why else would I get a bed except to sleep on?!?!

Bad, bad wasted use of the language, Old Kitty!

:-)

Off I go to hide now.

Take care
x

Anonymous said...

You shouldn't have brought the rotten eggs along to the new flat. That's obvious.

Sally Zigmond said...

All this--blocked sink, lack of broadband, rotten eggs and all--will pass. Promise.

I was a week in this house before I got broadband and was going ever so slightly mad. But I can laugh about it now.

Take things one at a time and soon it will be the scent of fragrant flowers wafting around you and another successful book under your belt.

Off to sign up on your new blog...

Rosalind Adam said...

Good luck with your kitchen problems although I think I'd rather have problems in the kitchen than broadband area. At least you can send out for take-aways... you have got mobile reception there I hope!

Catherine Hughes said...

Every so often, my broadband goes down for no apparent reason and for about half a day.

I am not nice to know when that happens!

Good luck getting it all sorted!

Cat x

iffath said...

Congratulations Nicola!
Good luck :)

xo Iffath

Private said...

congratulations on your new blog! i will follow, but i'm a bit miffed about not getting a copy if i win - i live in norway, you see:)

Anonymous said...

Doh! I hate not having Broadband, like Cat I'm not good when ours goes down.

I'm now following your new blog.

Anonymous said...

Nicola, you should have taken my advice - steal away to Hawaii for the duration of the move, unpacking, renovations. Only when your new home is completely gorgeous and has broadband do you return. To live otherwise is inhumane, and I think there are laws against this type of treatment.

You'll only send to a UK address? Harumph. No worries, I've already added it to my wish list on Amazon. So there!

Jayne said...

Excellent! Have already popped. Hm... that doesn't sound quite as intended...

:)

Hope your broadband gets sorted soon, your sink unblocks, your wall unwonks, and your roller runs smooth!

Unknown said...

Done.

Someone who's been knee-deep in builders dust for the past two months, I sympathise with new/old flats/houses.

Good luck with both book and new accommodation.

Helena xx

Anonymous said...

Oh dear. It could be worse. The mouldy food from the blocked sink could be coming up through the drain in the shower. It happened to a friend of mine and it wasn't nice. Hope your plumbing issues are resolved quickly.
Looking forward to reading the new blog!

Anonymous said...

That sounds horrible. What's even more horrible is that I live in the US and therefore don't have a chance at a prize. *Boo* Guess that just means I'll have to contribute to your royalties. ;o)

Unknown said...

Awww, bless. It will all be worth it. Eventually.

Anonymous said...

Eeek! I don't suppose you have access to a mobile broadband dongle...? Although it won't unblock the kitchen sink. (Well, it *probably* won't. My old one can be so useless that tying it to a sink plunger and forcing it down the U-bend might improve the general level of human happiness...)

Nicola Morgan said...

And I have now decided that my weekly free draw for a copy of Wasted applies to readers anywhere in the world! Why? Because I'm so bloody stressed about lack of broadband (to be sorted, apparently, on April14th) that I don't care about a few pence postage.

Thanks for all your lovely comments, everyone - please be patient while I am broadbandless. Normal service will be resumed. On the other hand, this is doing wonders for my crabbitness - you should see my grumpy face.

sanjeet said...

Good luck getting it all sorted!

data entry work from home

Elizabeth West said...

Aack, good luck with the plumbing. And the broadband. I know when my Internet is down, I pitch a fit as though I've lost a limb!

I'd love to sign up for the contest, but alas, I'm in the US. :P Oh well.